The Library’s Blog

Books as Fomites: How much “culture” can one good book provide?

Recently, an e-mail from the After Hours poetry group informed us that “…in a perfect world, your writing would be like a virus, starting with one microscopic germ and spreading uncontrollably until you’ve infected the page with your epic poem…” Be careful what you wish for!

Fomites are inanimate objects that transfer pathogens from one host to another or from a non-living reservoir to a susceptible host. Common fomites are doorknobs, computer keyboards, used tissues, money, shared combs and the like.

Are books and other library materials fomites? To find out, microbiology professor Dara Wegman-Geedey and a team of students decided to put books, periodicals, microfilm and microfiche from the Tredway Library’s collection to the test.

Please join us on Wednesday, April 16^th to learn about the history of books as fomites as well as an exploration of some recent research data that suggest that different conditions and information storage materials may affect the survival of common pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Refreshments and conversation will begin at 3:45.

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This is the seventh presentation in the year-long “Book Studies” lecture series, part of “From Parchment to Pixels: The Year of the Book.” The next (and final!) presentation in the series will be given by Special Collections Librarian Sarah Horowitz.